1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for processing eggs, and more particularly, to an improved and simplified device for separating the yolk and albumen of a single egg or successive eggs.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of prior art devices have been provided for processing eggs, and particularly for separating the yolk and albumen of eggs. Many of these devices had to be held by hand, or suspended by some means, over a container for receiving the albumen. After separation of the albumen from the yolk, it was often necessary to remove the device from the container to discard or transfer the yolk from the device, prior to receiving the next egg therein.
Devices of the above mentioned type, which may include some of the features noted above are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,463,666, to Papp; 3,749,001, to Swett; and 3,656,525, to Goodart.
Additional devices for separating eggs appear to contemplate use were relatively large numbers of eggs may be separated. A disadvantage of these devices is that they are relatively complex and include a substantial number of moving parts. Such devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,919,042, to Rasmussen and 4,137,837 to Warren.
Still further examples of devices for separating eggs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,799,423, to Willsey and 4,541,330, to Fujimura.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,119, issued Dec. 3, 1991, to Idowu, discloses an egg separator that includes a cup-shaped member in an upper portion of a unitary housing for receiving an egg, retaining the yolk, and allowing the albumen to overflow the cup-shaped member. The housing includes first and second chambers for receiving the albumen and yolk, respectively. The chambers are provided with inclined floors, that allow their respective contents to flow out of the chambers and into separate containers. A disadvantage of the disclosed device, it that a curved element movably mounted in the cup-shaped, was used to break yolks retained in the cup-shaped prior to being dispensed in the second chamber. Thus, whole yolks could not be used if it was desired, and further, the device was somewhat inefficient with the processing of yolks. A further disadvantage of the disclosed device is that it did not provide temporary storage of separated eggs.
Although the devices disclosed in the above enumerated prior art references have improved features, they fail to disclosed all of the advantageous features achieved by the present invention. There therefore exists a need for a device for separating the yolk and albumen of an egg, or a succession of eggs, that is unitary in construction and retains yolk intact after separation from the albumen.